Wichita eagle., 1887-05-12


VIII Woin 49, -
These differences of opinion constitute tne
basis of political parties to be settled IN
election contests. When the voter comes
to decide the matter in his own mind be-
fore going to the polls, the interest OF the
entire community is not always uppermos'
in his mind. He sometimes wishes
the policy adopted that Will
add to the value of his own property OF
increase his own income even if that de
sirable result is accomplished at the ex'
pense Of his neighbor, IL adopt policies
that viii bencbtt whole people and pre-
e.pl Tie selfish few from profiting them
selves at the expense of the community is
the part of wise craftsmanship. These
questions come up for settlement in the ad-
ministration of city affairs no less than in
affairs of the nation 1t makes no differ
ence whether railroad is to be built or
any other measure adopted for the public
good, there is always diversity of opinion
as how best to accomplish the desirable re
suit. And almost invariably in these cases
the men who look at questions affecting
the public from selfish standpoint only,
appear for the purpose of obstructing
the advancement Of the interest OF
the community. This class OF
men usually become SO unpopular in an
ambitious, aspiring city or town that they
are denominated the ''kickers. When
questions are brought forward the support
Of these kickers is pretty sure to defeat it,
even if the proposition pending is really
plcritorious and vice versa, if they oppose
q bad proposition it viii be pretty sure tC
carry This matter is illustrated in many
aspiring towns i'll Kansas today. There i;
one thing that most aspiring towns in this
state think is needed to make them cities OF
great commercial importance. After they
have secured railroad the one ether thing
needed to make all other towns tributary
to them in commercial point of view is tt
secure railroad shops. If all the towns il
Kansas get the railroad shops which they
confidently expect, and think their location
in regard to other out lying
precincts of the universe entitie them. the
whole state will be one vast railroad ma
chine shop. The thunder Of the innumer
able hammers will roll across the prairies
from poor old Missouri and reverbrate in
the Rockies and down the vallies from Ne
braska to the Indian Territory and scare
Poor Loo, the Indian. In case this is all
accomplished the whole state might be
rooted in and an immense sign put on the
Missouri front, Railroad Machine Shop
of the World" Railroad men are some
times unable to see what is to their own in
terest and these towns are compelled tC
bring forward every argument which gen
Jus can suggest to convince them Of tht
Importance of building shops at their place
When every other argument fails many OF
these towns propose to bond themselves ii
large amounts to overcome any Natural al
vantages claimed by some other competing
point OF course, in this case the chronic
kickers come to tn front, and the bono
grave question whether the best interest O
the town would not be best subserved i
the cickers would favor the proposition
and by SO doing defeat it. II is usually
claimed that The location of railroad ma
chine shops at given point will employ
500 to / coo men and will AID 5000 popu
lation to the place. This, to most towns, is
desirable acquisition. But the question
arises, is ii advisable in a town Of 5000 t
40, 900 population to bond every other inter
est and industry in the town for period
Of say twenty years, in order to secure thi
last industry.
Is it advisable to tax the home Of TIL
carpenter, blacksmith, baker, harness
maker, cigar maker, washer woman, hoo
carriers, bridge builders, printers and Sc
on down through all the industries usually
found in an enterprising town in Kansas
in order to secure as citizens one thousand
men and their families who work for S
railroad company Experience has no
shown that this class of citizens are Away:
an unmiNed blessing to the prosperity of F.,
town. Large bodies of workmen con
trolled by one head are liable to become
dissatisfied and tie result is strike Mos
of lie men employed in large industrie;
live up their wages about as fast a:
earned and in consequence when there is
strike no alternative is left them but sub
sist off the town during the strike. The
grocer and butcher must continue to fur
nish them food, the landlord must wait fol
his rent While the large pay roll is stop
ped and the pay train fails to put on break:
at the shops, every other business interes
of the city is more or less damaged by The
shut down. Taking il all in all we ar,
of the opinion that a city to be prosperou:
needs firmer foundation than the machine
shops alone. And while it may be dssira
bic thing 10 have, there is bare possibility
that somebody might pay more for rail
road machine shop than it is worth
The census of 1886 shows that there ar,
80, 900 more males than females in Kansas